INTERVIEWS ABOUT THE VILLAGE OF BRUNNENTAL, RUSSIA (Kriwojar in Russian) The following are interviews done in 1978-1982 by Marie (Greenwald) Bandey with Mrs. Maria (Lebsack) Becker. Mrs. Becker was born in the village of Brunnental, Russia in 1890, and lived there until 1912, when she emigrated to the U.S., settling in the town of Portland, Oregon and later Milwaukie, Oregon. The interviewer, Marie (Greenwald) Bandey, was born in Lingle, Wyoming, the daughter of Konrad Gruenwald, who was also born in Brunnental, Russia. For more information, contact Sherrie (Gettman) Stahl, 4189 NW Spoon Pl, Portland OR 97229. Email: sherriestahl@comcast.net / Updated 3/2006 ------------------------ TAPES 5 & 6 Marie: We just started to talk about how the yard looked-and the house, and how it was built. And you started to tell me that--oh--the houses didn't have a front door. Mrs. Becker: No, they have just back door. Marie: O.K... Mrs. Becker: And it's a vorhaus; krillitz you call that, it's a Russian word. We call the krillitz. And where we go in -- a vorhaus. The steps goes in. Marie: Oh -- a vorhaus! Like a closed in porch, kind of? Mrs. Becker: Oh yes--and the nice windows! Marie: Oh... Mrs. Becker: Everything nice. And some went upstairs. In the back, was just closed up. The steps going upstairs--was a door you go in. Marie: The stairs were on the inside? Mrs. Becker: Ya-- Marie: And then the fences -- they all had fences around 'em -- did they? Mrs. Becker: Not all...the poor ones, they couldn't afford it; but the middle class and the rich ones, like my grandfather, he was fenced up. Marie: Uh huh... Mrs. Becker: And the neighbor he was, he had not even a fence. Just a little house and a backhaus they called it, where they baked and in the summertime they ate--and no fence around--everything open. Their name was Ziegler. Marie: Uh huh, but most people there had--in the... Mrs. Becker: In the middle we all had closed. In the middle of city, the richer people, you know-- was all closed up (meaning fenced in) Marie: and the fences were pretty tall, were they? Mrs. Becker: Oh, yes about at least 7 feet Marie: Oh... Mrs. Becker: and some taller---some had 8 feet tall Marie: Sure... Mrs. Becker: You know--on account of burglarizing, you know, so they couldn't get over. Marie: About the yard and in the house--everything like that, and you said no front door? Mrs. Becker: You want (me to tell you about) your grandfathers? Marie: OK! Mrs. Becker: On the front -- facing the south --there was on the corner was the house--the big house. And their house had 4 rooms--was one kitchen and 3 other rooms. Marie: Uh huh... Mrs. Becker: And then was the big door and the little gate. On the other side--we called the backhaus, there's only 2 rooms-- there's a kitchen, just the baking stove, and where you washing--the big wash kettle and then a small stove where you cooked--- that was the kitchen! No tables or anything like that--there was not room! And then, there was a big room --a dining room---where they ate. And lotsa time there was so many people in the family, they had some beds in there and they sleeped there, too. Marie: Sure...sure.... Mrs. Becker: Out there the bed was always made real nice--high--and pillows on top and bedspreads--always had it fixed nice! Marie: Oh, I'll bet! -- And then what kind of curtains did they have on the windows? Mrs. Becker: Well, a...white...just some well they call that English linen - -real fine linen. Marie: Oh... Mrs. Becker: White curtains...and some people had some flowers in it too-- just cotton, with flowers. Some was divided like my kitchen curtain -- and underneath, so the people couldn't look in, they had a short curtain. Marie: Sure... Mrs. Becker: On the street, you know, when you walk by, it's not easy to look in. Sure.... Marie: And then you said like at my Grandfather's--you said there were 4 rooms in the house? Mrs. Becker: Ya... Marie: Did they have like a living room? And some bedrooms? How was it arranged? Mrs. Becker: It depends on how big the house was. Well, they had one "good" room, they called it, but lotsa times people had to put in beds, too! Marie: Sure.... Mrs. Becker: When the family was big. I don't know if your grandfather had one empty or had beds in it. I can't remember that. But like your Dad, he had one room, and the old folks had one room, and the grandparents--they called the stubcha (german word for a small room---she pronouced it like stubcha) --that room was a little smaller, 2 big rooms and the kitchen, and the little "stubcha"(was a little smaller), but they was big rooms --at least 20 feet by 22 feet. Marie: Oh---yes! So they had room to have things nice. Mrs. Becker: And so, see the girls, the children, well, Anlis was not home. She worked always out. She worked by my Uncle Conrad. And the smaller ones, they slept with the old folks--with their parents. Marie: Sure... Mrs. Becker: And your Dad and his family had one room. And the grandfather and grandmother had one room, but later on they died and then they had more room. Your great grandfather--he died first. I just hardly remember him. But the grandmother lived a few years longer when she died. But I still remember her. I was small, but I still remember 'em. Marie: Sure---And in their yard, now -- what was in their yard? Mrs. Becker: Well, just in the back-- I can remember they had just a big barn and a shanty, a backhaus. In the shanty they had their cellar. And I think--sure it was a brick cellar. And on the other side she had more sheds, but there was more empty rooms, you know, just bare. But they had no gardens -- in there. They had big gardens out of the city. Marie: About how far were the gardens from where people lived? Mrs. Becker: Very close. You know on the other side was the dam, the canyon. And your father and your grandfather--they lived on the last street-- -on that one---the other side of the canyon then. Here was the bridge we go over. And the Eckhardts'. David, and your grandfather, they had...they had their apple garden there--apple trees. And on the lower , by the dam, they had vegetables -- you know. They had big gardens there -- that was their gardens! Marie: Sure... Mrs. Becker: Where I know --unless, they had, later on, when they made the lands thicker, you know---all the land on one piece---they had different then. They made their gardens out on the land, but they kept their apple gardens. I want to tell you a story--- Marie: Sure! Mrs. Becker: There was old Mr. Doerr, was his name, we called him "Fetter" (german word for Uncle) Laurence -- and "Schmeer", that was the nickname, you know. And he, it was a very poor year, you know. And they were poor. And his daughter, she lives just in the next block where we was living. And every day, he came. Fetter Lawrence ate dinner with us. And his wife ate dinner with her daughter. And so in the summertime, he went by and went walking like old people are. He went over the bridge and walked by. Eckhardts' family-- was there, you know, working in the garden---picking apples or something. The apples was ripe, and he said (Mrs. Becker interrupts her story and asks, "Can I say it in German?") Marie: Sure!... Mrs. Becker: "Ihr Weibsleit werf mir mal yetter ein epfel an mein kopf" (translation: "you women throw me an apple on to my head!") "Und da komma es ever gefloge" (translation: "and here did they ever come flying!")---(much laughter!!!) And he picked `em up. Marie: He took them.... Mrs. Becker: He had a shirt on, you know, in the pants, he pulled it apart and put `em all in his bosom. He came walking and we said, "Fetter Lawrence, what's wrong with you?". He said, "I got apples in my, in my bosom." We had to laugh at him. Marie: Oh,sure, that's something!... Sure..did everybody have to have a barrel of water like you were telling me? Mrs. Becker: Yes, on the front! Marie: Right by the front door--or on the side I mean? Mrs. Becker: Just beside the little gate, that was in the summertime. Marie: Because of fire? Mrs. Becker: Yes -- and so it was handy! And lotsa people had wells -- I cannot remember if your grandfather had a well in the yard. I just can't remember, but a ot of em had wells. The water wasn't good for drinking, but they had the water. Marie: Sure... Mrs. Becker: And for scrubbing and washing things like that -- it was alright. Marie: Well you know, on that little map there from Aunt Pauline, she remembered a well there (points to map). She thought it had a little well. Mrs. Becker: So they had a well in the yard? It could be--I cannot remember, you know. Marie: Yeah...Then in their yard did they have like horses and did they have camels, too? Mrs. Becker: No camels, just horses--I can remember. Marie: Just horses... Mrs. Becker: And in the yard is a fence between -- you know -- it's the front yard and a back yard. Marie: Oh, I see! Mrs. Becker: So the cattle couldn't come in the front. Marie: Was that fence made of wood, too? Mrs. Becker: Yes, some had just boards, long boards, and some had pick fences. I know your grandfather, they had no pick fences, just the long boards. (Pick fences were made with posts with branches between.) Marie: Where did they get their water for drinking, then? Mrs. Becker: Well I think they went down the corner, by the dam, there was a lot of wells. They went together like I guess he was in with his cousin -- with the brothers had the well together, you know. So that was good drink water! Like our neighbor, Miller Hanness, on the corner, and across the street, Fiegert---we went together and had a well. And Henry Stroh was on the corner, across the street from Miller Hanness, and he had his well on the side of the river, you know, and that was good drinking water, too! He was alone, but he -- some people, they paid him so much, and he gave them water. Marie: Sure... Mrs. Becker: A dollar a month or so. Marie: Sure, that's interesting! Mrs. Becker: We had a well, but ours was behind, right by our garden--my father's, and that was good,---and my grandfather--they went together--and his brother Uncle George, and Mr. Wagner---and that well was kinda deep, you know, and lotsa water. And so sometimes we want not walk so far ---it was about 2 blocks of walking, so we went to Henry Stroh and got water sometimes. He watered our cattle sometime -- my dad always paid him a few rubles. Marie: Now, can you remember my mama's house? Where she lived? Mrs. Becker: Ya...I remember just a front house and the backhaus -- but not very much. Marie: Not very much about it, huh?? Mrs. Becker: You know, I was small and they didn't say very much. Marie: Her dad -- My Dad says that mama's dad (John George Klein) was like a self taught doctor, too? Mrs. Becker: Ya -- he knows quite a bit -- ya! Marie: And he said he came and helped a lot when they had diptheria? Mrs. Becker: Ya, things like that, he knew what it was and he helped people out, you know --and old people, he had schreffe (german folklore practice of bloodletting), they call it. He put needles in em like kind of a --like people had arthritis so bad. Marie: Is that right?! Mrs. Becker: Well, he learned it from a -- he had feldscher (german word meaning doctor's helper), you know. And I think one was boarding with them, and he learned a lot of him. Marie: I see -- that's really something! Mrs. Becker: Well, he was a smart man! You pick it up, even if you don't have to school. Marie: Sure! And my dad said he taught my dad a lot about playing the violin?...Dad always played the violin. He really loved that... Mrs. Becker: Ya, Alec's father played the violin good too, and his oldest brother. But Alec, he played the accordian. He didn't care about the violin. My father played the violin,and lotsa people--- David Gruenwald, young David-- he played the violin. When his Katja got married (his step sister, the wife's daughter) so my brother, and David, and another one---I think it was George, what was his name?-hurry up- Walter; those three men, they played on the wedding. Marie: Yeah, wasn't that fun? Boy...Now, tell me how you celebrated Christmas--- Everything you did at Christmas! Mrs. Becker: Well, we had our presents, and Christmas trees--just the family. And we went to the Christmas in the evening, in the church. Marie: To the Church---was that Christmas Eve? Mrs. Becker: Ya--Christmas Eve!...You know one year, the school master always had the choir, you know. And he was sick -- very sick -- he had a kolik (colic), and my brother, he played the organ. Marie: I see... Mrs. Becker: In the church -- he was a school teacher. And so he said, "Well, it's going to be bad Christmas -- herr schulmeister, (german word for school master) what we gonna do?" He liked to have something , a choir anyway -- but he couldn't practice-- he was sick in bed. Immanuel said, "Leave it to me!" Marie: And that was your brother, Immanuel? Mrs. Becker: Ya -- that was he---- and Wilhelm Gruenwald, the cousin (George Gruenwald's son Wilhelm), and he was a school teacher, and Immanuel was a schoolteacher, and my cousin David Loebsack, he was a school teacher . They all went together and we had a few people, and we practiced for singing in the church for Christmas Eve. There was my mother's half-brother, Henry Mueller, and his daughter Anna Katrina, and my sister-in-law (my brother was married), Anlis Becker--(her father was my mother's half brother), and then Henry, his daughter and Anlis, they was singing the tenor. And Amelia my oldest sister) and my sister after me Rosalia, and sister Freda, and David Eckhardt's Uncle David's Marie (that was your Dad's cousin, you know). Marie: Oh, my dad's cousin! Mrs. Becker: Ya, you know, Uncle Eckhardt and your Dad's mother were brother and sister. Marie: Oh, I see -- David Eckhardt was my grandmother's brother? Mrs. Becker: Ya, David Eckhardt, you know, that was our Uncle---and his wife (David Eckhardt's) was my father's sister, so Marie was my cousin---and she, Rosalia, Freda, Anlis' sister Marika (we called her---named Marikatrina), she was about 2 years younger than my sister Rosalia---they sang the ---how do ya call it--the first? Marie: Soprano? Mrs. Becker: Soprano! And then was my cousin Gottleib, that was my father's brother's Loebsack's son, And my brother Wilhelm----we three , we sang alto. Marie: Yes... Mrs. Becker: And a Wilhelm Gruenwald, and David Loebsack, they sang the bass. And my brother sang alto,but he played the piano---it was an organ. Marie: Yes..and organ...that was nice..... Mrs. Becker: We went together a couple nights and we practiced and learned the songs. Marie: Can you remember what you sang? Mrs. Becker: We sang "Stille Nacht" (Silent Night)---and "Oh Du Frohliche, Oh Du Selige", and "Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen". Marie: Oh, you don't happen to have that in a book, do you? Mrs. Becker: No... Marie: I saw that the other day in a book, it mentioned the name of the song, and I can't find it. Mrs. Becker: Es ist ein ros entsprungen -- so sart und wunderbar -- alls wie die engel zungen.--- -I forgot...you forget and it was 3 songs we sang, and the people were all so surprised! Marie: Of course they were Mrs. Becker: Because they didn't know about it---the schoolmaster was sick-- -they sure was surprised! Marie: Wasn't that nice? And when you had like your presents, did you wrap them in paper like we do, too -- now and fix them up? Mrs. Becker: No, we didn't wrap 'em -- we just folded together, and put the name on. No ---the wrapping paper wasn't at that time. So--- Marie: I didn't think so---ya---and when the Christkindchen (german word for "little Christ child"---who is actually a masked woman who visits each house)- --tell me about the Christkindchen. Mrs. Becker: We usually didn't have no Christkindchen--some have `em, but we didn't. Marie: I know mama said one time that she was the Christkindchen one time for the kids. Mrs. Becker: We called it more not Christkindchen but the Belznickel(german word for the masked man who appears on Christmas Eve, after the Christkindchen). Marie: Oh, the Belznickel came -- talked to those that hadn't been good all year? Mrs. Becker: And usually, one man in the family did it...he was the Belznickel. Marie: Sure right! I've been looking for Christmas material---you know because we're going to have this program. And so many of the nice songs that people remembered, we can't find any notes for em, you know? Mrs. Becker: Ya...wish I brought a book --there were notes in and everything. Marie: Oh my! Mrs. Becker: Ya and then you know, we had another school teacher--Gable was his name. His wife was Schaefer Karl's daughter. And he played the organ, too. And he went and played sometime and the people didn't want him to play, you know. He was kinda, you know, old fashioned. "No!--we don't want him to play---Immanuel is the player and that's all!!" So they got rebellish! "The organ has to go out of the church!" --- But no sir, Gable didn't stay away -- "Organ has to go!!" So they sold it. So my father bought it! Marie: Oh, my!.. Mrs. Becker: They paid almost 2,000 ruble for that organ, and my father got it for 800 ruble. Marie: Oh my! Mrs. Becker: And we set it in our home, and that was bigger than that piano you know- Marie: Sure... Mrs. Becker: And you couldn't play it, real loud. It would bust the windows --the house is so small. In the summertime, he opened all the windows, and played the organ. Far away, they could hear it! Marie: You bet...and so then, the church didn't have an organ after that?? Mrs. Becker: No, but they had the choir,----anyway! Marie: Sure...did they have a piano then? Mrs. Becker: No, nothing---the schoolmaster had a violin. Marie: To give them the pitch and notes---isn't that something? So people have troubles everywhere?.... Mrs. Becker: Everywhere! And when I went into school, I went in the chorus and sang all the time. I sang the tenor that time. I had a real high voice-- -I was alone . I was about 14--and one summer I got laryngitis. Marie: Oh my! Mrs. Becker: For 3 months I couldn't have a loud...was I scared! And in the evening, had to go home from the fruit garden home--& somebody could grab me - -and I couldn't holler--no voice! Was I scared sometime! I always didn't went alone, somebody had to go along with me. And my mother was scared I couldn't get my voice again (just whispered)--just like that. Marie: Wasn't that something? Mrs. Becker: And then finally, it's just like something opened and my voice was low. I couldn't sing so high, anymore. Marie: For goodness sake---isn't that interesting? Mrs. Becker: I just got a cold -- out in the field in the spring it was cold, workin & swettin and -- cold wind over you. And then my voice was low and rough. And my grandmother, she sang always tenor--real high! And when you sit close to her, it was just like the needles go through you--her voice was so strong. And her son, Henry Mueller (Miller), he had a voice just like his mother. And my sister, Amelia, had a voice just like mother. My mother couldn't sing so high. But all our family---all our children could sing. You see, my father could sing--he was schoolmaster for 7 years. Marie: Oh, my!... Mrs. Becker: And schoolmasters always have to sing. They have to lead the chorus and-- but he played the violin, too. And he always get the tunes with the violin. Marie: Sure, I think the Gruenwalds were very musical. I think they all liked music. Mrs. Becker: All liked the music--ya! Your father played the violin, too? Marie: Yeah, they said he was a little tiny boy about 4 years old, and picked up the violin and was always dragging it around. And he said my mother's father, John Klein, took an interest in him too, in the violin because Dad wanted to learn all the time, so he could play with notes or by ear, either one. He played real good. I'm just sorry we didn't have the tape recorder then when he was still playing the violin. That would have been so wonderful, you know. Mrs. Becker: My father he just played it once from the notes and he learned by heart--- everything, so fast! Marie: Isn't hat something! Really musical---and mama's family liked music too, see -- Mrs. Becker: My father played the violin, he played the organ. He had a harmonium, he played that, and he played the accordian. And my brother Immanuel, he played the violin, and the organ, and the accordian, and the balalaika (russian word for guitar)---they called it, like a guitar with strings---all kinds. He learned it all in high school. And my brother Gottfried, he played the accordian---that's all he was interested in. Marie: Uh huh... Mrs. Becker: My brother, Wilhelm was still in high school. He was only 15 when I left, no--17 when I left. He still went to college. He had the most schooling. When he was through with college, he went to, you call it...-- higher than college...3 years----the war started already, and they let him finish school, then he had to go to war. He was teaching in high school. Marie: When somebody was going to get married, did they have like showers?.... Mrs. Becker: No----- Marie: What was this...mama said something--- sein freier ganga---what was that?.... Mrs. Becker: When the boy wanted to marry the girl, he takes two men along, and he asks the father of the girl----that's the Freier. Marie: Oh, they would go with him?.... Mrs. Becker: They went with him lotsa time, you know, they didn't know the girl, so they went along and got acquainted. That was the "freiers". Marie: You mean the boy didn't know the girl?... Mrs. Becker: No, the boy knew the girl, but the Freierdidn't know---so they had to learn to know a little more. Marie: Did they get married in church like we do here, too?? Mrs. Becker: Oh yeah...Three weeks before he get married, they had to go before the preacher for exam---If they can read. They had to ready out of the Bible, and answer the catachism, to see if he knew something. If not they had to run---sent em back! Marie: That was good... Mrs. Becker: And that was 3 weeks. And then when they was by the preacher and had their exams and then the name, auf gerufe --in the church. Marie: Oh...announced it! Mrs. Becker: Announced it.. If someone was against, they had to step forward. Sometime, a boy had a other girl in family way, and married other one, she can make him trouble---so he had to pay. Marie: Uh, huh----a good idea!... Mrs. Becker: It was like when I got married, they announce in the church: "Der Lydia Alexander Becker, sohn des Jacob Becker ist vermalt mit Lydia Marie Theresa Loebsack, dochter des Andreas Loebsack, beide von hier." Some get from other cities, girls, you know---they called that for 3 Sundays. Marie: Wedding on Saturday night or Sunday? Mrs. Becker: The wedding?--on Thursday --and see we had 4 cities--- one preacher. In our city, the preacher was living there,he had a big nice house- -Called him Pastor Rad. Marie: Yes.... Mrs. Becker: .And they had to come from other countries over here, from other cities. It was Gaschon, Moor, and Beideck. Sometimes, we had 10 or 12 pair, at the same time. They had to kneel down at the altar and he married them. Marie: Oh, yes... Mrs. Becker: And the same ceremony.for each...you know! Marie: Uh huh...And then did they have like a reception afterwards?... Mrs. Becker: Afterwards, a reception, yeah...it was in 2 o'clock or 3 in the afternoon, ---it took about an hour when he was through. And then everybody goes home and then start in the wedding. Marie: Would it be in the boy's house? Mrs. Becker: Usually in the boy's house. And they invited all their people. They invite to the wedding and then home. First they go home and do a little work and come later then. It takes a few hours to prepare everything. Some women, they cooked the meals. Marie: Did they have like a dinner? "broda" (german word for roast with potatoes, onions and carrots)--I suppose? Mrs. Becker: Yeah, schaf braten(german dish of lamb chops), yes -- rivvel kuchen (german coffee cake), and kafe (german coffee). And some they have a fruit soup, you know--kascha brei german millet--cooked like cream of wheat), instead of coffee. But we had only braten, at my wedding, and coffee cake and coffee. And my sister, she made jello, and brainiki (russian word-- cookies) they called it. Marie: Brainiki? Mrs. Becker: Brainiki --- like cookies. But they're a little better. That was dessert. Jello and cookies, and then schnapps and wine and beer. . Marie: Sure.... Mrs. Becker: Always in the mealtime. And before the meal, we had wine or whiskey --- whatever you want. They sitting and visiting, you know, around the tables. Marie: It was kinda nice having it on a Thursday... Mrs. Becker: We had over a 100 people. Marie: Oh my, oh my!!... Mrs. Becker: Yeah, we had 4 sheep. We made---- Marie: Oh my goodness, a lot of work, and where did they all sit to eat? You know--- Mrs. Becker: All on the tables--the rooms--they emptied the rooms, you know. All tables and chairs, and benches--you know. Marie: Just like a restaurant almost--when they got through--wasn't that wonderful?... Mrs. Becker: You know, on the side it was the benches--on the side--and benches in front---you sitting around. It was usually had 8 tables full or 10 tables---long tables, you know. We get the tables from the neighbors. We take the beds out, you know, and emptied the rooms. Marie: Did they always have---I know they had a lot of crocheted table cloths and things. And like everyday, what kind of table cloths did you have on the table? Mrs. Becker: Just --we had just cotton, and sometime linen. They was checkered. They had a red checkered and a blue checkered table cloths. And the tables are real smooth---you know, varnished tops. Marie: I know when we were little, when mama was here, no one really talked about what the church really looked like and anything---and when I saw how beautiful the church was,----and now when I talk to you, and when I was to talking to mama, you know, when she was living with us, why, it's just wonderful how beautiful you had everything!! And the nice linen curtains and things! Mrs. Becker: In every room you had a round table, you know, round in front and that was a leaf, you take it off, you put it on the side---it didn't take so much room. We had crocheted tablecloths. And we had nice lamps, you know- --beautiful big lamps, "stell lampa"(pronounced shtel), we called them. We had one big room--we had no beds in it--"shtud" room they called it(one big room--sitting or living room). Our kitchen, we divided---front you put your fire on the stove---in the back we had 2 beds and a big curtain--a red curtain, we had. And we was a big family, you know. One room was my brother and his wife. He was then in the army. And the young children, the young girls, sleeped with their sister-in-law. And father and mother had their own room. And the boys were gone--was not home. If someone was home, we had a davenport, and they sleep on the davenport. And the big room--father had the organ-- the harmonium (reed organ...reed, kind of coarse grass--common at the sides of rivers and lakes--the musical pipes made of these reeds), and his writing desk, and we had a red velvet davenport, and we had those "rohr stuhl" (bamboo chairs)--about 6 chairs--oh spools? Seats--have holes! So the room was just full. And between, we had 2 windows in each room. And between the windows, we had that round table and a big mirror. Marie: Sure were they the kind of windows that opened out?...Or could you open those windows?.. Mrs. Becker: Opened in! Marie: Opened in...I was wondering about that, and you probably had shutters? Mrs. Becker: Oh yeah!.. In the wintertime, you always closed the shutters in the evening. It keeps the cold more out. Windows, you know, they get cold, you know. And the shutters protected. Our windows was round on top, and double windows in the wintertime. Marie: Oh yes! -------------------------- Telephone conversation at a later date: Mrs. Becker:....from Norka, like Elizabeth Frieze. I always had to read to her out of the Bible. She even couldn't read. Marie: I know, isn't that something? Mrs. Becker: So many people just didn't send their children to school! Marie: I know what you mean--- Mrs. Becker: Kriwoijar (Brunnental) we had a good school. We had a Russian school and German school---good schools. Marie: Uh huh--you know in the schools, now like would you go all day? Or just in the morning? Mrs. Becker: No, we went to school all day, and 6 days a week. In the Russian school, we had 2 afternoons, Wednesday afternoon and Saturday afternoon, we had German---religion. The school master teached us that. We had Russian teachers, you know. Russa Matschka (unflattering term--sloppy dress). Girls and boys we had--we went from 8 o'clock in the morning, till 5 o'clock in the evening--school! Marie: Isn't that something?... Mrs. Becker: The higher grades. The lower was 4 o'clock. But eight o'clock the school started. So we had to make up for the summer--we had more vacation in the summer, you know. So we had 4 months vacation, and sometimes 4 1/2--- that depends how all the people had to go in the fields--closed the school because the people needed the children. Marie: Sure... Mrs. Becker: ...put the wheat in and things like that. Marie: And in school, did you learn like music and things like that, too?... Mrs. Becker: No, we didn't have music. But we sang a lot--- we sing songs. Mostly, just reading and writing and arithmetic. Oh, we had history, and geography--everything, you know, and what you call history---what's going on in the world. Marie: Yes... Mrs. Becker:.And then geography, that was all the countries, you know---the main cities and what their culture was, and so on. We learned pretty good! Marie: Right...You know---one time when we were talking, you mentioned about the -- some of the people had their own wells, and one was your grandfather, and Mr. Miller (Mueller) and Mr. Felker (Voelker). Mrs. Becker: Oh, more people had wells. Yes, we had two. One on our land, and one at home in our garden. Marie: I see... Mrs. Becker: .Yes, almost everybody had. Like Beckers--they had one in the backyard and they leased where they had the garden, with another man, dug one you know. Sometimes you had to dig quite deep. Marie: Sure---and then some of them, they could use for drinking---some of them just....? Mrs. Becker: Some of them couldn't use---some of em too salty! Marie: Oh, I see... Mrs. Becker: We had on our land, a well that cost us over a thousand ruble-- to fix that. Marie: Oh my!!.... Mrs. Becker: And we drawed the water with the horses. And the buckets went up and down. One go down and one up. They emptied automatically. You don't have to be there. Anytime a child could fix the horse on and the horses were use to it---going around the wheel, you know. And it pumped automatically, the water. and we had lotsa troughs. And lotsa people got water there. It was the best water in the whole community. Marie: Oh, so other people would come and get their water, too? Mrs. Becker: Oh, yes! For tea---it was so good for tea and put watermellon sauce for preserves---good! Not too much chemical in (watermellon preserved in barrels, a real delicacy). Marie: I see... Mrs. Becker: Some, they had too much salt---iron kinds---chemicals. We had lotsa chemicals in our water. That was good! Marie: Sure..... Mrs. Becker: Good for the teeth, you know. That's why we didn't have too much trouble with teeth. Marie: One time you were telling about---you had some extra wells down by the garden?.. Mrs. Becker: Oh yes, to water the gardens. And we had a dam there. We had plenty of water. We went ice skating when we was young. Marie: Oh my.... Mrs. Becker: Oh, I loved to skate! Marie: Oh, did you? Oh this weather we've been having makes you think about that ice? Mrs. Becker: ...But you know, we don't get that cold weather. You know, when we came in 1912, 13, 14--all rivers froze up and we had lotsa snow. We don't have that weather anymore...it's warmer. It was a lot colder than it's now. And I remember when we was in Washington---we went over there in 1918--we moved to Washington. And it was 10 below zero. Marie: Oh my!... Mrs. Becker: Our cow had a calf and we was not in the barn. I was sick and Alec was with me, and when he got out, the calf was frozen. Marie: Oh my goodness!...Isn't that something! You know, one time when we were talking you mentioned they had, in Brunnental, they had their own fire department? Mrs. Becker: Oh, yes!... Marie: You know, I was going to ask you more about that and we got side tracked that day. Mrs. Becker: Oh well...it was, in the same block where your grandfather was living. On the corner in the middle, was Mr. Ziegler, and on the other corner was the fire station. And they had a big barn there, and in the winter, they put the bulls, you know, that the gemeinda (community) had, extra bulls for breeding cows. Marie: Oh, yes.. Mrs. Becker: So, the poor people couldn't afford to have a bull, and they didn't have enough cows either, so they kept about 5 or 6 bulls just for the poor people---you know, to breed their cows. And the firestation,they had a barn there, and the firemen who run that feed the bulls, in the winter time. Marie: I see...and then, did they--was it just like kind of a volunteer---or how did they---when there was a fire, did they ring a bell or something? Mrs. Becker: Ya, they ring bell, and there was volunteer. The people all volunteered, you know. It was just one man took care. If the fire broke out,they took care and they rang the bell and the people came. Marie: Yeah, you know, one time when we were talking, you told about when you got married and everything like that. Well now, when a baby was going to be baptized, did they do that on Sunday?... Mrs. Becker: .Yeah, on Sundays. Every 4th Sunday in the month, the preacher baptised-- every 4th Sunday, so all the people that had children to be baptized, brought 'em there. That was in groups, you know. I remember once, I was---how do you call it?...Godmother---for three babies. I had three in the same time (much laughter)! Marie: You were busy. That was really interesting times though. I know we were talking about Christmas time and then I was wondering about like on New Years---It seemed to me that mama said that, they'd go out "wunschen" (New Year's wishes). Mrs. Becker: Houses and sing--- Marie: Sing, and... Mrs. Becker: Ya, they do that! Marie: They did it like New Year's Eve? Mrs. Becker: Ya, New Year's Eve. Marie: Went around from door to door? Mrs. Becker: Would you like to go too--to friends. Sometimes on Christmas, too!---before Christmas, at Christmas Eve...late in the night, they went to sing for old people who were sick and couldn't go to Church. Marie: Like Christmas caroling?... Mrs. Becker: Caroling? Yes...we went to the old people's houses and we sing for em-- Marie: And then we were talking once about when the snow would come so deep and everything in the winter, and did you say that they kept the--kinda cleaned the snow off the yard? Mrs. Becker: Yes, and put it on the other street. Marie: I see.... Mrs. Becker: There was a lotta snow piled (laughter). Marie: Right... Mrs. Becker: Ya, they always cleaned the yard because they had to have the cattle in the back yard, you know---out running around a little bit--they need to exercise. Marie: Uh, huh.. Mrs. Becker: And when you walk, from one building to the other, you know, so we always cleaned the snow out from the yard, and laid on the street Marie: Sure---and it would keep the ground from getting so wet probably? Mrs. Becker: Sure, and the ground stays hard, you know. It's just like...it's not dust. We swept the yard every week. We keep the yard clean. Marie: I know. Mama said one winter, she froze her hands. Did you know that? Mrs. Becker: No, I didn't know that! Marie: Yeh, she was 8 years old and she went out to sweep off the porch or something, and while she was sweeping, the broom just fell out of her hand. See, so went in and her Dad said, "Oh my---you've frozen your hands", and so he got snow right away. Mrs. Becker: And rubbed her hands... Marie: Yeah, but she said that even eventually her hand even peeled. Mrs. Becker: Oh yeah--It's just like you burned your hand, you know! I froze my cheeks 3 times!! Marie: Oh, my!... Mrs. Becker: And a just going back and getting water to the well. It was cold! Oh, 50 below sometimes. And then we rub it with snow, but the skin peels off, just like you burned yourself. Marie: And she said that her hands stayed really tender after that. She'd have to---her Dad would wrap up her hand real good and throw her over the snow bank on her way to school. And she said her hands were really sensitive after that. So you have to watch that, I guess... Mrs. Becker: In deuitch we say, DeBorn Schwing (sling shot). Marie:Then they had the church in the middle of town in the square? Everything kind of went out from there, so but I enjoyed it. I thought it was really nice. Mrs. Becker: It was wide because the houses are built right on the street. They had to be wide. Marie: For all the horses and wagons and everything like that? Mrs. Becker: For the camels! Marie: Mama said she rode the camels---did you?... Mrs. Becker: Oh yes, I rode a lotsa camels! Marie: Did you? I'll bet that was something?.. Mrs. Becker: It's fun! But you have to jerk em, you know--go down on their knees. They lay down, then you sit on `em and then you get up. I rode alot on camels. I plowed with camels and horseback. I rode a lot a horseback. Marie: Oh my---you've done a lot of things that I haven't! Mrs. Becker: Well, when you have to work in the fields, you know, you have to do all kinds of things! Marie: --Right... Mrs. Becker: And I liked it! Marie: I know it... Mrs. Becker: I like to work outside--outdoors. It's a lota fun! Marie: It's real healthy, really--.... Mrs. Becker: That is!... Marie: I know Mama used to say and Papa, they relly enjoyed that working out. Well, I won't keep you anymore. I kept you a long time. I really missed you. Mrs. Becker: O.K. Marie..when are you going to leave? Marie: Next Friday--so then I'll talk to you before we go. Mrs. Becker: O.K... Marie: Allright.... ------------------